Olive Oil Reviews

The Bariani Extra Virgin Olive Oil bottle is dark - important because along with heat and oxygen, light will shorten the shelf life of edible oils - including olive oil.

This California olive oil company makes a big deal (perhaps too big?) out of 'stone crushing' their olives. I have toured the thoroughly modern stainless steel olive presses in Crete and tasted the end result - top quality - some of the best extra virgin olive oil in the world. That's why I was dubious about whether the 'stone crushing' would mean anything about the olive oil inside the bottle.

This extra virgin olive oil smells fresh, like olives. The color is brightly green and the taste is vibrant and very olivey with an excellent peppery component. While you certainly could cook with it, it would be better showcased as a finish or olive oil for dipping.

The oil's hearty flavor and clingy feel is great for pasta, bruschetta, or dipping, and despite it's California production with Italian roots, it's bold enough to hold it's own in a Greek Salad.

Whether the stone-crushing traditional process has made any difference, I can't tell. But if they care enough to import 2000 pound stones from Italy, you can bet they care enough to store and ship their extra virgin olive oil so that it reaches you in pristine condition.

Bariani Olive Oil 33.8 oz (2 liters) $21.95 or 16.9 oz (half liter) for $10.99

When the editors of Cook's Illustrated decided to do reviews on olive oil, specifically grocery store olive oils, they discovered a lot of oil without much olive. In fact, in the end none of the grocery store olive oils they reviewed were worthy of the top rating: 'highly recommended'. For that, they referred back to a former top rated olive oil - not sold at the grocery store but nearly as easy - Columela olive oil can be had online with just a few clicks.
Columela Extra Virgin Olive Oil $17.27 for 17 oz.

The more you sample different oils, the more you come to realize that there is no 'best', but there are many varieties of 'good' or even 'great'. I am pleased to relate my newest find.

California Olive Ranch Medium & Fruity is a joy to taste. When rating olive oil, there are a few considerations - a balance of flavors including bitterness, fruitiness, and pungency is the goal, and this unfiltered oil provides such a flavor profile. It's grown in California using recently developed methods to improve production and reduce costs, which is why you can get this luscious oil for $28.29 per liter. This oil will hold up well in any applications, but I don't cook with it - cooking with extra virgin olive oil is fine health-wise, but foolish purse-wise. The heat destroys all the subtleties in extra virgin olive oil. For cooking, any grocery store oil will do.

Because the primary flavor in this cake comes from the olive oil, it is essential to use only the best extra virgin olive oil you can find. When it's good, it's marvelous - and when it's not good, it's a waste of calories. This is one place where it's worth the extra cost for a top rated, very flavorful olive oil.

Citrus compote:
2 Oranges
2 Tangerines
2 Grapefruit or Blood Oranges
3 Tablespoons very good (best) quality olive oil

Section the citrus, removing the peel and membrane. Douse with oil, toss gently to coat and set aside.

Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients:
1 egg + 1 egg white
1 1/4 cup white sugar
2/3 cup good quality fresh extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup milk
2 Tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
1 cup bleached all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven for at least 15 minutes to 350 °F
2. Grease and flour an 8-inch cake pan.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, soda, salt, and powder together.
4. In a separate large bowl whisk the remaining ingredients well.
5. Add flour mixture to olive oil mixture and stir slowly just until blended.
6. Scrape batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
7. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack. Let cool in the pan and serve dusted lightly with powdered sugar beside citrus compote at room temperature.

The first and most obvious quality of a top olive oil is flavor. It has to taste like olive oil. Very fresh olive oil often has a bite which mellows after a few months.

I enjoy this bite as do many an olive oil gourmet - but it's not for everyone. Many of our Cretan friends preferred olive oil that had mellowed for a few months to the very fresh olive oil. If you don't like the bite and buy olive oil that's too fresh, it's easy enough to let it sit for a few months - but you can't bring back the bite of fresh olive oil once it's mellowed. Buying olive oil fresher is better for everyone.

Because freshness is vital, I like to know when my oil was processed. Generally, I won't buy olive oil older than 12 months, though there is nothing unsafe about older oil. If I buy olive oil without a production date, I like to buy from specialists.

Specialists care about their product, and it shows. They store it under proper conditions and turn it over quickly. You really can't say the same about your local grocery and often can't say the same about the gourmet food grocers which might carry 30 different brands. When do they discard their product? What do they do if something doesn't sell? Even an oil that garners top olive oil ratings will be 'no good' if it's not cared for properly.

Lastly, Americans love Italy and all things Italian. When Americans think of olive oil, they often think of olive oil from Italy. There are some grand Italian olive oils, indeed. But it's not necessarily the best olive oil in the world. You should know that Italy consumes far more olive oil than it produces. What this means is that when you buy a large-scale production Italian olive oil, you are probably buying Spanish, Greek, and Middle Eastern oil which has been blended in Italy. Not that there's anything wrong with non-Italian olive oil.

Practically speaking, it's cheaper, fresher, and tastier to buy a Greek or Spanish or Middle Eastern olive oil from the start. And if you speak to an olive oil gourmet, you will certainly be told the same.

The exception to that rule is if you are getting an Estate olive oil from Italy. Estate oils are produced on a smaller scale, often cold pressed, by people who care more about their product than a large multi-national.

No Bertolli for me!